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Back Goodnight Lady Save as PDF
Chapters (60)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Praise
  4. Dedication
  5. BOOK ONE
  6. Prologue 1989
  7. Chapter One
  8. Chapter Two
  9. Chapter Three
  10. Chapter Four
  11. Chapter Five
  12. Chapter Six
  13. Chapter Seven
  14. Chapter Eight
  15. Chapter Nine
  16. BOOK TWO - 1925
  17. Chapter Ten - 1925
  18. Chapter Eleven
  19. Chapter Twelve
  20. Chapter Thirteen
  21. Chapter Fourteen
  22. Chapter Fifteen
  23. Chapter Sixteen
  24. Chapter Seventeen
  25. Chapter Eighteen
  26. Chapter Nineteen
  27. Chapter Twenty
  28. Chapter Twenty-one
  29. Chapter Twenty-two
  30. Chapter Twenty-three
  31. Chapter Twenty-four
  32. Chapter Twenty-five
  33. Chapter Twenty-six
  34. Chapter Twenty-seven
  35. Chapter Twenty-eight
  36. Chapter Twenty-nine
  37. Chapter Thirty
  38. Chapter Thirty-one
  39. Chapter Thirty-two
  40. BOOK THREE - 1947
  41. Chapter Thirty-three
  42. Chapter Thirty-four
  43. Chapter Thirty-five
  44. Chapter Thirty-six
  45. Chapter Thirty-seven
  46. Chapter Thirty-eight
  47. Chapter Thirty-nine
  48. Chapter Forty
  49. BOOK FOUR - 1968
  50. Chapter Forty-one - 1968
  51. Chapter Forty-two
  52. Chapter Forty-three
  53. Chapter Forty-four
  54. Chapter Forty-five
  55. Chapter Forty-six
  56. Chapter Forty-seven
  57. Chapter Forty-eight
  58. Chapter Forty-nine
  59. Chapter Fifty - 1970
  60. EPILOGUE

Eileen lay in bed, her face screwed up in concentration. Briony watched entranced as another head appeared. The child slipped from its mother without a sound then set up a lusty wailing as it hit the cold of the air.

‘Twins! Oh, Eileen, you’ve got twins!’

Kerry and Bernadette burst into the room at this and both began doing a little dance.

Eileen lay back, her face wet with sweat. ‘What are they?’

Mrs Horlock smiled at Eileen and said, ‘They’re boys. Two boys as identical as your own two hands!’

Sister Mary looked the children over and grinned. ‘They’re small, but they’re healthy. Who would have credited that, eh? Two of the little buggers!’

Kerry, Bernie and Briony, along with the other occupants of the room, all stood open-mouthed with shock as they heard the little nun swear.

She laughed with delight, her relief at the birth being over making her excited.

‘I think the Good Lord will forgive a bit of overexuberance at a time like this, eh?’

Eileen was cleaned up and both her sons placed in her arms at her request. She looked down into their tiny faces and smiled.

‘My sons, my boys.’ Her voice was thick with emotion.

Cissy and Mrs Horlock disappeared to make them all some breakfast. Bernadette and Kerry got dressed. Bernadette was going to fetch their mother and Kerry had to feed Liselle who had set up a wailing of her own. Briony hugged the tiny nun and hugged Eileen.

‘They’re beautiful boys, Eileen. And what a night! Why didn’t you let on you were in labour?’

Eileen smiled and said softly, ‘I wasn’t sure, to be honest. Take these two for me, Bri, would you?’

She took one baby and Sister Mary the other. As they unswaddled the babies and began to wash them, Eileen gave a long sigh.

Briony smiled at the nun. ‘She must be tired out, bless her.’

The nun placed a baby back against her chest and said sadly as she walked to the bed, ‘I think she’s been tired for a long time, Briony. She’s gone.’

Briony walked to the bed, one tiny baby snuggled into her breast, and as she looked at Eileen’s serene face, gave a loud cry.

The doctor arrived five minutes later, but he was too late. As Briony remarked to Sister Mary, he was fifteen years too late.

Chapter Thirty-two

Chapter Thirty-two